visual agnosia

9.3

A condition where a person can see but cannot identify objects or faces

noun
/ˈvɪʒuəl æɡˈnoʊziə/

Specialized

: agnosia visual

Patients with visual agnosia may see clearly but cannot interpret what they see.

Examples

Her visual agnosia made it difficult for her to identify everyday objects like keys or a cup.
Neurologists call this "visual agnosia."

Fiction book (1999)
After the accident, he developed visual agnosia and struggled to recognize familiar faces.

Antonyms

visual perception

4.1

The ability to see and understand what you look at

Surface Forms

visual agnosia singular

visual agnosias plural

Morphology

visual + agnosia

The phrase is directly compositional: 'visual' specifies the modality of 'agnosia' (an inability to recognize), so students who know both words can infer it means an inability to recognize things by sight. The adjective+noun pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, making the MWE transparent (though 'agnosia' itself is a technical/low-frequency term that many learners may not know).

Etymology

Visual agnosia is made of two parts: visual, about 'seeing', and agnosia, meaning 'not knowing'. Imagine the eyes work but the brain cannot connect the picture to what it is, so a person can 'see' an object but not 'recognize' it.